Methods and apparatus for wastewater treatment

Abstract

Wastewater is treated by providing a distribution conduit and providing a diffuser assembly. An aperture is created in the distribution conduit having an initial minimum diameter. The diffuser assembly, in turn, comprises a diffuser membrane in fluidic communication with a mating tube. The mating tube has an initial outside diameter at a location along its length greater than the initial minimum inside diameter of the aperture. The mating tube is inserted into the aperture until the location on the mating tube that, before insertion, had the initial outside diameter is encircled by the aperture where the aperture, before insertion, had the initial minimum inside diameter. This forms an airtight interference fit between the distribution conduit and diffuser assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for treating wastewater, the apparatus comprising:
 a distribution conduit, the distribution conduit comprising an aperture having an initial minimum inside diameter; and 
 a diffuser assembly, the diffuser assembly comprising a diffuser membrane in fluidic communication with a mating tube, the mating tube having an initial outside diameter at a location along its length greater than the initial minimum inside diameter of the aperture; 
 wherein inserting the mating tube into the aperture until the location on the mating tube that, before insertion, had the initial outside diameter is encircled by the aperture where the aperture, before insertion, had the initial minimum inside diameter forms an airtight interference fit between the distribution conduit and the diffuser assembly. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the diffuser assembly further comprises an anti-torque projection, the anti-torque projection projecting from a surface of the diffuser assembly and defining a peripheral edge, one or more portions of the peripheral edge substantially conforming to an outside contour of the distribution conduit. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the diffuser assembly comprises a second anti-torque projection separate from the anti-torque projection, the second anti-torque projection substantially forming a mirror-image of the anti-torque projection. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the anti-torque projection and the second anti-torque projection are arranged on opposite sides of the mating tube. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the anti-torque projection encircles the mating tube. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the peripheral edge of the anti-torque projection comprises portions substantially conforming to outside contours of a plurality of distribution conduits with differing outside contours. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the peripheral edge describes at least two square corners and at least one arc. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the distribution conduit comprises a substantially circular or a substantially elliptical cylinder. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the distribution conduit comprises a substantially square or a substantially rectangular tube. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the distribution conduit is formed of a material that is harder than the material forming the mating tube. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the distribution conduit comprises a steel and the mating tube comprises a polymer. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the polymer comprises polypropylene or polyethylene. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the distribution conduit comprises polyvinylchloride and the mating tube comprises polypropylene or polyethylene. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the distribution conduit comprises at least one of steel, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene, polyethylene, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mating tube comprises at least one of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the aperture comprises an inwardly slanting edge. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the inwardly slanting edge extends more than a wall thickness of the distribution conduit. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the initial minimum inside diameter of the aperture is located proximate to a distal end of the inwardly slanting edge. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mating tube terminates in a distal portion having a smaller outside diameter than a remainder of the mating tube. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mating tube describes two substantially straight-walled cylindrical portions connected by a substantially tapered-wall cylindrical portion. 
     
     
       21. A method for treating wastewater, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a distribution conduit; 
 creating an aperture in the distribution conduit, the aperture having an initial minimum inside diameter; 
 providing a diffuser assembly, the diffuser assembly comprising a diffuser membrane in fluidic communication with a mating tube, the mating tube having an initial outside diameter at a location along its length greater than the initial minimum inside diameter of the aperture; and 
 inserting the mating tube into the aperture until the location on the mating tube that, before insertion, had the initial outside diameter is encircled by the aperture where the aperture, before insertion, had the initial minimum inside diameter so as to form an airtight interference fit between the distribution conduit and the diffuser assembly. 
 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the steps of:
 immersing the diffuser assembly in the wastewater; and 
 providing a gas to the diffuser assembly via the distribution conduit so that the gas passes through the diffuser membrane into the wastewater. 
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the diffuser assembly further comprises an anti-torque projection, the anti-torque projection projecting from a surface of the diffuser assembly and defining a peripheral edge, one or more portions of the peripheral edge substantially conforming to an outside contour of the distribution conduit. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23 , wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the mating tube into the aperture so that the one or more portions of the peripheral edge substantially conforming to the outside contour of the distribution conduit contact the distribution conduit. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 23 , wherein the anti-torque projection restricts the inserted diffuser assembly from twisting relative to the distribution conduit.